1. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) strives to ensure that every child has access to Grade R before they enter formal schooling.

2. To this end the WCED has registered 977 ordinary public schools with Grade R and 590 independent Grade R sites providing access to learning which resulted in a huge disbursement of Grade R subsidies to the aforementioned learning institutions.

3. However, it has come to the attention of the WCED that a large number of institutions with Grade R are flouting the rules regarding the management and governance of Grade R subsidies and the contracting of Grade R teachers/practitioners.

4. Memorandum of Agreement
4.1 In the WCED's aim to improve the management and governance of Grade R subsidies and practices, all institutions with registered Grade R classes are required to adhere to the following prescripts for the management of Grade R subsidies:
4.1.1 All institutions with registered Grade R classes must sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in which the granting and use of the subsidy is clarified. The MOA will be discussed and circulated to schools by district Early Childhood Development (ECD) managers.
4.1.2 The MOA will be entered into by the governing body and the district director, who will act as the delegated authority of the WCED, for a period of three years. All MOAs must be signed before the end of March 2017.
4.1.3 The governing body, as a beneficiary of the WCED subsidy, acts as the employer of Grade R teachers/practitioners at ordinary public schools and independent sites offering Grade R.
4.1.4 The beneficiary must disburse the allocated funds according to the norms and standards for Grade R funding and as stipulated in the ECD Provincial Policy Guidelines.
4.1.5 Evidence of this expenditure must be accompanied by a quarterly report that is signed by both the principal and Grade R teachers/practitioners and forwarded to the district.
4.1.6 The WCED maintains the right to audit all financial, infrastructure and administrative processes relating to Grade R subsidy claims.
4.1.7 Furthermore, the WCED maintains the right to determine an allocation to any institution seeking a Grade R subsidy based on the availability of funding.
4.1.8 Should the beneficiary breach any or all of the conditions, as set out in the agreement between the WCED and the governing body and fail to remedy such breach, the WCED will be obliged to cancel the agreement and claim back all allocated funds with interest.

5. Employment contracts
5.1 Once the MOA has been signed with the WCED, governing bodies must draw up employee contracts with Grade R teachers/practitioners for the duration of one year or more.
5.2 Employee contracts must be concluded and signed in the year prior to the new academic year.
5.3 The cessation of a contract with an employee must be done 3 months before the contract terminates.
5.4 Basic conditions of employment must be followed, as stipulated in the ECD Provincial Policy Guidelines.
5.5 Failure to abide by the basic conditions of employment for Grade R teachers/practitioners will result in a subsidy being immediately withdrawn.

6. Funding letters for subsidy allocations

All institutions receiving a Grade R subsidy from the WCED will receive a funding letter before the end of the first term stipulating the 80/20 funding principle and expenditure that must be adhered to.

7. Submission of quarterly reports
7.1 In line with good auditing practices, it is expected of institutions to complete a report indicating the progress made on financial management and curriculum delivery in Grade R before any subsidies will be allocated.
7.2 Principals and Grade R teachers/practitioners are required to co-sign the report. Failure to do so may cause a delay in the allocation of a subsidy.

8. Registration
8.1 All registration certificates condoned by the WCED will be valid for a period of five years.
8.2 There will be a renewal of all registration certificates for all institutions with Grade R in 2017.
8.3 All ordinary public schools will receive their registration certificates via district ECD managers and should be concluded by June 2017.
8.4 All independent sites will receive their registration certificates through a campaign managed by district ECD managers and should also be concluded by the end of June 2017.
8.5 The new registration certificates will be valid for a period of 5 years and will terminate in 2022.
8.6 All ECD registrations that may take place within the period 2017–2022 will also terminate in 2022.

9. Enrolment of Grade R learners
9.1 All institutions must enrol Grade R learners before June of the previous year.
9.2 The total number of learners per class should not be less than 20 nor exceed a total of 30 learners per class.
9.3 Please note that the total number of learners in remote rural areas only should not be less than 10 learners. This will be verified and confirmed by the district ECD manager.

10. Applications for additional classes
10.1 All applications for additional classes will be considered in the year prior to starting the class.
10.2 Applications must be made by September of the previous year via the district ECD manager. Schools will be informed of the due date for applications by means of an official notice.
10.3 Please note that the approval for a Grade R class is dependent on the availability of space, proof of demand and available funds in the ECD budget.

11. Training of governing bodies in the management of ECD subsidies
11.1 The WCED will provide training for all principals and governing bodies of ordinary public schools and independent sites in the management and control of ECD funding.
11.2 The training will take place during the third term of 2017. Schools will be notified of this training in due course.

12. For any further information pertaining to this minute kindly contact the relevant district ECD manager:

District ECD Manager Telephone Email
Metro Central Schalk Hattingh 021 514 6721 Schalk.Hattingh@westerncape.gov.za
Metro North Zaida Davids 021 938 3013 Zaida.Davids@westerncape.gov.za
Metro South Carmen Niekerk 021 370 2004 Caremen.Niekerk@westerncape.gov.za
Metro East Michelle Leideman 021 900 7221 Michele.Liedeman@westerncape.gov.za
West Coast Sally Meyer 021 860 1202 Sally.Meyer@westerncape.gov.za
Cape Winelands Madeleine Siddle 023 348 4608 Madeleine.Siddle@westerncape.gov.za
Overberg Lynn le Grange 028 214 7384 Lynn.LeGrange@westerncape.gov.za
Eden & Central Karoo Lucretia Roux 044 803 8314 Lucretia.Roux@westerncape.gov.za

13. Principals are requested to bring this minute to the attention of all ECD stakeholders involved.


SIGNED: PAD BEETS
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT
DATE: 2017:02:20